Concrete-block machine.



PATENTED MAY 30, 1905.

T. 0. EICHELBERGER.

CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED FEB. e, 1905.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1,

uIIIIIH C) LQ'- Il!!! O illlll IMMER,

No. 791,088. PATENTED MAY 30, 1905. T. O. EICHELBERGER.

CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATBNTED MAY so, 1905. T. o. BICHBLBERGER.

CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. e. 190s.

asuma-SHEET 3.

Z ATTU@ Nirnn STATES Patented May 30, 1905.v

PATENT Ottica.

CONCRETE-BLOCK NIACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 791,038, dated May 30,1905.

Application filed February 6, 1905. Serial No. 244,277.

marked thereon, which form a part of this v specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines formaking cement building-blocks.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of the abovecharacter which will form a building-block from cement or concrete withthe face downward and discharge the same onto a wooden pallet with ablock in a reversed position with its face upward. The many advantagesof' a machine of this character lie in the fact that in making a blockwith the face downward I am enabled to use a small quantity of fine richfacing material for forming the face of' the block, while the main bodyof' the block is formed of a much cheaper and coarser material, and,further, in discharging the block from the machine with the face upwardit is possible to use an inexpensive wooden follow-board upon which tocure the block, and, further, in curing the block with its face upwardit is possible to distribute the water more uniformly over the face ofthe block in curing said block.

In providing a machine in which the above results are obtainedsimplicity and efciency are combined to a very great extent in orderthat a perfect building-block may be obtained at aminimum cost.

Preceding a detail description of the invention reference is 'made tothe accompanying drawings, ofl which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of themachine with portions of the frame broken away. Fig. 2 is a frontvertical elevation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation with av portion -of theframe broken away and the extension 24 of the faceplate andreversibleyoke shown in section.

In a detail description of the invention similar reference charactersindicate corresponding parts.

'The framework of the machine consists of two upright end standards 1,which are connected together by a suitable number of braces 2 at thelower portions of said standards. The tops of these end standards areprovided with journal-boxes 4, which furnish bearings for the ends of areversible yoke 3, said yoke forming an upper connection between the endframes or standards 1. This yoke 3 is reversible to two horizontalpositions by means of a hand-'lever 5, which is fixed to one endthereof, said hand-lever being held in position to support the yoke ineither of its two operative positions by means of stop-lugs 6, whichproject .from one of the end standards.

7 and 8 designate the rear and front flaskplates, and 9 and 10 the twoend flask-plates, whichV are hinged to the front and rear plates at 11.The rear plate 7 is bolted to the reversible yoke 3 through bosses 12. Alatch 13 holds the plates or members of' the flask together during theperiod of the formation of a block and reversing the flask. Thefaceplate 14 is utilized as the bottom of the flask during the processof tamping the material in the flask, and when the flask is in suchposition the yoke 3 and said flask are reversed from the position shownin Fig. 1. The faceplate is of Special construction and has a shiftablehinge connection with the yoke 3 by means of' two hinge members 14',which are provided with pins or journals 2Q, that enter bearing-bosses21, projecting from the reversible yoke. These pins may be in onecontinuous piece or otherwise. The journal-openings 23 in the bosses 2lextend upwardly and thence backwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, in order thatthe face-plate may be first lifted entirely free of the molded face ofthe block and then turned upon its hinges to entirely clear the face of'the block. The movement of' said faceplate is necessary in order toavoid any marring of the face of the block. The lower or straightportion of the slots 23 enables the journals of said face-plate to moveup in a straight line, and the upper rearwardly-extended portion of saidslots permits of a rearward movement of said journals.

The extreme ends 24 of the face-plate 14 are extended in reduced form toan extent that enables them to enter mortise-slots 27 in the upper sideof thc ends of the yoke 3.

Against these ends of said yoke the ends of the face-plate are firmlysecured by means of dogs 15, which are pivoted to the ends of said yokeand are movable to positions to release the ends of said face-plate orto bind and hold said ends in rigid contact with the yoke. It will beseen that the connections between the ends of face-plate 14 and the endsof the yoke are substantially in line with the center of the iiask.Therefore the flask is properly supported during the tamping operation,the positions of the ends of the yoke being substantially in line withthe longitudinal center of the flask. It will thus be seen that theentire members of the flask are supportable upon this reversible yoke.As the flask is shown in Fig. 3 the material for the formation of theblock has been tamped, and the wooden follow-board 19 is secured inposition by means of a hook 20 at each end of the flask. The face-plate14, it will be observed, forms the bottom of the iiask while in thisposition. To reverse the position of the liask to that shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3 or as shown in Fig. 1, where the face-plate 14 is in theupper position, the hand-lever 5 is moved to the position shown in Fig.1.

In order to remove the block from the iiask when in the lower positionand without a direct handling of the blocks, I have provided thefollowing means: 16 designates two horizontal supporting-brackets, whichare rigidly connected with the two cross braces 2 by means of a suitablenumber of bolts 25, which pass through oblong slots 26 in said brackets.These brackets support angle-bars 17, which form inclined tracks. Therearward bracket 16 extends upwardly beyond the height of the forwardbracket, and .these brackets, together with the tracks 17, areadjustable vertically by means of the oblong slots 26, before referredto. This vertical adjustment allows for the making of differentthicknesses of blocks. Movable upon the inclined tracks 17there is asliding truck 18. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and in full lines inFig. 2.) This truck, as willY be seen, has its upper surface level atall points of its travel along the inclined tracks in order to enablesaid truck to be moved in a proper manner to a position to support thefollow-board 19, with a molded block thereon, after the mold has beenopened to enable said truck to receive the followboard with itscontents. The necessity for the vertical adjustments of the brackets 16`and the tracks 17, it will be understood, is due to the desirability ofbringing the truck 18 to a proper position below the flask at all timesregardless of the thickness of the block.

Having described my invention. I claim- 1. In a concrete-block machine,a supporting-frame, a reversible yoke mounted in said frame, a iiaskconsisting of hinged members, the rearward one of which is rigidlysecured to said yoke, and a face-plate having a pivotal connection withthe body of the yoke, and its ends securable to the ends of the yoke.

2. In a concrete-block machine, a frame, a

reversible yoke mounted in said frame, a iiask having its rearward platerigidly secured to said yoke, a face-plate having its rearward edgepivoted to said yoke, the ends of said face-plate being extendedparallel with the ends of the yoke, and means for holding said extendedends firmly against the yoke during the 1Speration of tamping thematerial in the 3. In a concrete-block machine, a frame, a reversibleyoke journaled in said frame, a iiask consisting of side and end platesand a face-plate, said flask being rigidly connected at its rearwardside to the body of the yoke, and said face-plate being pivotallyconnected to the body of said yoke, means for detachably connecting theends of the face-plate to the ends of the yoke at points substantiallyin line with the axes of the journals of said yoke, whereby the yoke isenabled to properly support the flask during the operation of tamping,and reversing the position of -said flask.'

4. In a Aconcrete-block machine, the combination with a mainsupporting-frame, adjustable brackets mounted on said frame, trackssupported upon said brackets, and a truck having its upper surfaceparallel with the surface of the follow-board, said truck being movableto a position to support the followboard with the completed blockthereon.

5. In aconcrete-block machine, a reversible yoke, a flask mounted uponsaid yoke at one side, a face-plate pivoted to said yoke at one side,means for detachably connecting the ends of said face-plate withthe'ends of said IOO IIO

yoke, means forreversing the position of the yoke to bring the iask in alower and reversed position after the formation of a block, an inclinedtrack adjustably supported in the main frame of the machine, and a truckhaving its upper surface parallel with the followboard, said truck beingmovable on said track to a position below the flask.

6. In a concrete-block machine, a reversible yoke, a flask rigidlysecured to said yoke, and a face-plate having a hinged connection withsaid yoke, said hinged connection consisting of bearings havingvertically and laterally extending openings which receive the journalsof said face-plate.

7. In a concrete-block machine, a iiask consisting of hinged members, afollow-board attaehable to said flask and forming the support for theblock when the flask is opened, a face-plate forming the bottom of theflask when lshe block is being' formed, a reversible yoke upon which theask and the face-plate are supported, and a truck movable to a po-Sition to engage the follow-board to Support the same with its contents,and a track sup-

